March 28, 2024

Monday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 11/7/2022

Subtropical Storm Nicole forms, could approach Florida near hurricane strength

Subtropical Storm Nicole formed Monday and could reach hurricane strength in the next few days while approaching the east coast of Florida, the National Hurricane Center said. Regardless of Nicole’s ultimate intensity, the large storm will likely cause strong winds, storm surge and rainfall over parts of the northwestern Bahamas, Florida and the southeastern coast of the United States this week, according to forecasters. A subtropical system has elements of both typical low pressure systems and tropical systems like hurricanes. More from the Tampa Bay Timesand the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Judge rejects challenge to laws on guns, pot

A U.S. district judge has tossed out a lawsuit filed by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and other plaintiffs challenging federal prohibitions on medical-marijuana patients buying and possessing guns. Judge Allen Winsor on Friday issued a 22-page ruling that granted a request by the U.S. Department of Justice to dismiss the lawsuit, which alleged the prohibitions violate Second Amendment rights. The dispute has been rooted in a conflict between federal and state laws. Under federal law, possession of marijuana is illegal; under a 2016 Florida constitutional amendment, hundreds of thousands of patients are able to buy medical marijuana. More from the News Service of Florida.

As downtown Delray Beach thrives, there are even more growth plans ahead

Development along Delray Beach’s West Atlantic Avenue has significantly lagged behind its thriving counterpart east of Swinton Avenue over the years, but the corridor is finally beginning to show signs of life. Following a handful of new projects, developers are planning a new three-story, 16,000-square-foot office and retail building. The project follows a string of other new developments west of Swinton Avenue, including a highly-anticipated shipping container plaza, three two-story office buildings and an additional three-story retail and office building by Doc’s All American that’s also being developed by MDG Banyan. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

New JEA headquarters in Jacksonville sells before employees even move in

The new, seven-story JEA headquarters building in downtown Jacksonville sold to Colorado-based Real Capital Solutions on Friday. Ryan Companies Inc., a national commercial real estate solutions provider, owned the 153,000-square-foot building prior to the sale and will continue to manage it on behalf of the new owner. More from the Florida Times-Union.

Brevard County Commissioners agree to spend most remaining COVID funds on infrastructure

Brevard County officials will spend their remaining federal stimulus money from the COVID-19 pandemic to upgrade storm and sewer infrastructure, provide economic assistance to some people in need and draw up plans for new projects. The commission voted last week to approve the second tranche of funding from the American Rescue Plan Act that Brevard received back in June. In total, the county received $58.5 million in June, almost $19 million of which has already gone toward other projects. More from Florida Today.

Research Trends
Hurricane Ian? Fuhgeddaboudit! Mote doesn't stop working to save Florida's Coral Reef

A funny thing happened at Mote Marine’s coral restoration labs in the Keys when Hurricane Ian targeted Southwest Florida in late September. Nothing. “We were able to continue all of our work there, and our facility in the Keys was not damaged,” said Stephannie Kettle, a spokeswoman for Sarasota’s Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium. “And we are continuing our reef restoration efforts throughout the Florida Keys.”

» More from WUSF.

 

Profile
A Largo nail artist found TikTok fame painting ’90s masterpieces

Devin Strebler specializes in hand painted, gel polish nail art. This skilled miniature painter destroys her own work every three weeks. Her canvas, fingernails. Working on the scale of millimeters, with impossibly small brushes, Strebler can recreate almost anything. She paints on gel, acrylic, natural nail or press-on: Hello Kitty, McDonald’s chicken nuggets, Beetlejuice, “Hocus Pocus,” “Rugrats.” She paints lifelike portraits of rappers, actors, Danny and Sandy grinning in “Grease,” Macaulay Culkin slapping his cheeks in “Home Alone.” She even reproduced Salvador Dali’s “Woman with a Head of Roses” on a client’s middle finger.

» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.

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Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices

Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

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